Toronto at NY Knicks NBA Picks Tonight

The Toronto Raptors (49-31) travel to the Big Apple for a 12 PM EST tip-off against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. For Melo and the Knicks, the season has long been over, as the franchise looks forward to another lottery pick. The Raps want to put the finishing touches on another strong regular season campaign by clinching third spot in the east ahead of the Washington Wizards. Will the Knicks provide any resistance whatsoever against the streaking Raps?

Toronto Raptors at NY Knicks Odds

My Team's Next MatchToronto Raptors

Hard to tell what Phil Jackson was thinking when he signed Noah and Rose, a pair of journeyman who’ve been at less than optimal health for most of the past few years. In their prime, Rose, Noah and Melo would comprise a fearsome starting trio, especially with the addition of Kristaps Porzingis. Now, they’re pale versions of themselves, dragging the squad to another year of ignominy.

Masai Ujiri’s leadership of the Raptors has produced the exact opposite result, acquiring superb support for the core of DeRozan, Lowry and Valanciunas. With Lowry returning to full health, the Raps could do some damage in the playoffs, especially if the Cavaliers continue their inconsistent play.

Toronto At New York NBA Prediction

The Raptors recently dipped out of the top five rated offenses in the NBA recently, understandable because of Kyle Lowry’s injury. This type of small sacrifice is worth the improvements witnessed on the defensive end. After plunging below average, the Raptors managed to climb back above the mean for defensive net rating.

As a result, the Raptors managed to leap over the Wizards for third place in the conference, earning an 8-2 record over their last ten. Adding Ibaka and Tucker has gone a long way in terms of solidifying the starting five and the bench, and the Raps are now one of the deepest rotations in the league.

The Knicks are already dealing with a slew of injuries, and pre-game reports state that both Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis will sit out this matchup. Considering that New York already has one of the worst defenses in the league, and a barely passable offense on good evenings, it’s tough to see this squad putting together any sort of meaningful resistance against the Raptors.

If the fans are lucky, maybe Kyle O’Quinn will slap another teammate in the face to help entertain the crowd. There’s absolutely no reason to bet on the New York Knicks for this game, and it will be a big surprise if the Raptors don’t dismantle this lottery-tanking team within the first quarter.

Toronto simply has too much talent, depth and motivation to win this game, while the Knicks are going all-in on the lottery. The spread for this game is a very modest 7.5, which the Raptors should annihilate. Betting on the over/under is a bit trickier because totals sit at 201.5.

It’s tough to see the Knicks scoring more than 85 points, while the Raptors have no interest in hanging 120 on their rivals, preferring to rest starters for the playoffs. This has the stench of a slow paced, low scoring game, so betting under is a good idea.

NBA Picks April 9, 2017

Cleveland Cavaliers over Atlanta Hawks (-137)

Denver Nuggets over Oklahoma City Thunder (-185)

Dallas Mavericks over Phoenix Suns (+120)

Houston Rockets over Sacramento Kings (-435)

Memphis Grizzlies over Detroit Pistons (-270)

Minnesota Timberwolves over L.A. Lakers (-200)

Fans of betting on the NBA should see the weak odds given to the Cleveland Cavaliers as a blessing, similar to how they were a recent plus moneyline against the Celtics. This gives you great value for betting on a great team, even if that team hasn’t been operating at peak efficiency. Frankly, LeBron James will probably be pretty damn pissed off if he loses to the Hawks twice in a row.

Russell Westbrook has pulled off the absurdly improbable by averaging a triple double all year long, the first in the modern age of the association. His Thunder don’t need to win, and he’s secured his spot in history, while the Denver Nuggets need to win to have a hope of catching the Blazers. Expect the Nugs to run all over the Thunder, especially if Oklahoma’s smart enough to rest the Westbrook.

Last night the Los Angeles Chargers went from being the AFC's dark horse to being a legitimate threat to play in the Superbowl this February. By going into Kansas City and shocking the Chiefs with a gutsy last second, come from behind victory, they've given themselves a shot at the 1 seed but also shown that it doesn't matter if they're the 1 seed or not.

It's the best time of the season to be an NFL fan: the penultimate week (Week 16) is on hand with plenty of playoff implications for half the league including the once-mighty New England Patriots. Now is when everyone gets busy and there is plenty of betting action from the top sportsbooks. We look at three of the best value bets featuring three critical matchups that could shake the playoff picture.

With four consecutive graded stakes races on the Gulfstream card Saturday, Dec.14, the featured event and best betting race are one and the same as the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale has drawn an overflow field of 16. Time to don the handicapping hats, and get down to business.